The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
OFFICER REMEMBERED
Community honors policeman who was killed in the line of duty
Officers from the Elyria Police Department were joined by city officials and community members March 15 as they gathered to remember Elyria police Sgt. James Kerstetter.
Kerstetter was shot and killed by Ronald Palmer while answering a disturbance call that Palmer had exposed himself to a neighbor’s child March 15, 2010.
Every year since then, the Police Department has gathered and laid a wreath on a memorial on the street that now bears Kerstetter’s name.
Elyria firefighters, city officials and community members looked on from the sidewalk as police officers saluted and prayed while the wreath
“Jimmy died protecting the community, and that should always be remembered.” — Police Chief Duane Whitely on the death of Sgt. James Kerstetter
was laid.
Police Chief Duane Whitely said the annual event stands as an opportunity to remember Kerstetter, who was 43.
“As a department, and the individuals involved, we don’t want to ever forget,” Whitely said after the brief, solemn ceremony. “We really can’t ever forget because it’s a constant reminder everyday we’re out on the streets; we’ve seen what can happen.
“We want to continue to honor him and his sacrifice and use it as a reminder to us to make sure we do it the right way, which Jimmy would’ve wanted anyway. He was an excellent officer, a good friend to everyone and definitely a loss, not only to the community, but our department and our families as a whole.”
Whitely said the impact Kerstetter had on the community is evidenced by the large crowd attending the event.
“Jimmy died protecting the community, and that should always be remembered,” he said. “You look around eight years later, and you see a pretty good sized crowd of people that come and do that, and their telling us they’re not forgetting either. That’s very nice to see.”
In addition to the wreath laying ceremony, Whitely said the department kept Kerstetter’s assigned car which they use for parades and for their annual trip to Cleveland for the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial.
“I just hope we keep it running,” he said.
The Police Department also takes part in the annual Kerstetter 5K on the second Saturday in July, which is near Kerstetter’s birthday.
Whitely said Kerstetter also is remembered by his colleagues in little ways every day.
“There are constant reminders,” he said. “Jimmy was really a friend to everyone, he was a fitness fanatic, he was in great shape, he was an instructor in many areas.
“He was a great police officer.“
During his 15 years on the force, Kerstetter wore many hats. He worked on the Neighborhood Impact Unit, as an accident reconstructionist and also was a sniper on the SWAT team. He was the driving instructor for the police department and a state trainer, where he taught instructors how to teach their departments about driving.